Beggs calls for Fairer Transport Funding for East Antrim
Roy Beggs, Ulster Unionist Assembly candidate for East Antrim, has called for greater funding for Road, Bus and Rail for East Antrim and for the Strategic East West transport corridor to be funded fairly.
In a statement, Roy Beggs Jnr said: “East Antrim commuters are being treated as 2nd class citizens. Why should rail commuters from Larne, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey have to travel in vintage trains whilst commuters using the rest of NIR services have the state-of-the-art C3K trains. Clearly new investment must be committed to ensure that all commuters can experience a modern, comfortable and reliable service.”
A recent Parliament Question has revealed that the Larne Line had 167,305 passengers during December.
He added: “Given new trains and improved Park and Ride facilities I have no doubt significantly more passengers would use the service. It took the Assembly to gain an additional £100 million to keep our railways open. The new trains on the Bangor/Portadown line have enabled significant passenger growth. No further time should be lost before local ministers order new trains to replace the last remaining vintage trains which service the Larne Line.”
The Ulster Unionist candidate has also pressed for improved bus connections from Larne Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey and Antrim Hospital.
Turning to proposed DRD expenditure Plans, Mr Beggs said: “A recent consultation by the DRD failed to list any of the A8 Larne Belfast Road for dualling within the proposed preparation pool. The Larne/Belfast Road is strategically important to the NI economy and it has higher levels of traffic than some other routes that had been highlighted for dualling.
“This East West link has a clear case for up-grading. Civil Servants and NIO ministers need to be closely monitored to ensure roads investment follows need rather than some North/South agenda. It is time that decisions were taken and scrutinised locally.”
Roy Beggs said: “Perhaps the most urgent Road improvement needed within East Antrim is the removal of the A2 Greenisland/Jordanstown bottleneck. This route regularly puts lives at risk as emergency services are forced to travel at a snails pace.”
The UUP candidate had lobbied throughout the BMAP process.
Concluding he said: “The planning process for the widening of the Shore Road and Greenisland is at an advanced stage. I am pleased that this scheme has been listed as one of the priorities in the Greater Belfast area and in included in the preparation pool. I will be pressing for it to be built in the life of the next Assembly.”